Partnership and family visas
Partnership work visas
Work visas obtained under the current Family–Partnership category allow you to work for any employer in any occupation.
Work visas under this category can be applied for by:
- Partners of those who hold a three-year Essential Skills Work visas (ESWV).
- Partners of those who hold an Accredited Employer Work visa (AEWV).
- Partners of Work to Resident visa and Post Study Work visa holders
- Partners of NZ residents and citizens
- Partners of Student visa holders who are studying level 9 or 10 qualifications, or level 7 or 8 qualifications on the green list or the list of qualifications eligible for a post-study work visa.
The partners of temporary visa holders usually get visitor visas. If your partner wants to work, then they need to apply for a specific employer-accredited work visa. This type of visa only allows them to put in 30 hours of work each week.
Partners of those on the Green list or who earn twice the median wage will enjoy prolonged open work rights.
Immigration New Zealand will accept you as a couple for temporary visas if your relationship is genuine, stable and long-term – regardless of whether or not you are married.
Dependent children temporary visas
If your child is 19 years or under, single, and financially dependent on you, they may be eligible for a student visa (non-tertiary level), or a visitor visa so they can live in New Zealand with you.
Parent and grandparent visitor visas
Parents and grandparents of New Zealand citizens or residents may be granted a multiple-entry 3-year visitor visa allowing visits of 6 months at a time. This allows parents and grandparents to stay in New Zealand for up to a maximum of 18 months in total over the 3-year period.
This category has now reopened. Contact us to find out how we can help your partner and family be with you in New Zealand.
Family Resident Visa Categories
Immigration New Zealand has a range of family policies enabling partners, dependent children and parents of New Zealand citizens or residents to come to live in New Zealand permanently.
Resident Visa Categories
The categories below summarise which family members may potentially qualify. Again, each case needs to be investigated in-depth to make sure all detailed requirements are met. The immigration policy below may change from time to time.
- Partner – you are the husband, wife, de-facto or civil union partner of a New Zealand citizen or resident. The key requirement is whether you have lived with your New Zealand citizen partner in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months.
- Dependent Child – you are a dependent child with a parent who is a New Zealand citizen or resident.
- Parent – you have an adult child who has been a New Zealand resident for at least 3 years, and they meet certain income requirements to sponsor you.
- Parent Retirement Category – you have an adult child who is a New Zealand resident and you can nominate at least NZD 1 million to invest over four years, have NZD 500,000 of settlement funds and can demonstrate an income of at least NZD 60,000 per annum.
For more details or a consultation on your situation please get in touch with us.
“I worked with Carol to get a working partnership visa. She was absolutely fantastic! From making sure that I had all the relevant pieces of information to keeping me up to date with what was happening with my application. I couldn’t recommend Greenstone and Carol enough. Thanks again for your help!”
Jennifer Coates